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Questions & Answers about Aðganginum var læst.
Why is the subject Aðganginum in the dative case here instead of the nominative?
In the active voice, the verb læsa (to lock) requires its object to be in the dative case. When we change the sentence to the passive voice, Icelandic keeps that original dative case and moves it to the front. This is known as an oblique passive.
Since aðgangur is a masculine noun, why is the past participle læst in the neuter form instead of the masculine læstur?
In a passive sentence, the past participle only agrees with the subject if that subject is in the nominative case. Because Aðganginum is in the dative case, the participle cannot agree with it and defaults to the neuter singular form, which is læst.
If we locked multiple access points, would the verb change from var to the plural voru?
Is there a trick to remember why the verb læsa governs the dative case?
Verbs that describe using a tool or instrument often take the dative case in Icelandic. When you lock something, you are conceptually using a key or mechanism as an instrument to secure it, which triggers the dative.